The Third Volume: Angel 086, Moses' Tribulation

  Some things can be big or small, and if they're not dug up, no one will pursue them. But if Ah Meng insists on biting onto this weakness, it'll involve the dignity of the gods, and there won't be any good outcome. If it gets to the point where it's made a fuss in the Isis Temple, and the newly empowered Holy Maiden needs someone to make an example out of, this excuse would already be enough to warrant the most severe punishment.

  Blanca couldn't sit still either, hastily stood up and grasped Ah Mon's sleeve, pleading: "Sir, I sincerely ask for your forgiveness, please don't mind a mere martial artist's unintentional slip of the tongue, whatever you demand, just say it."

  Ah Mon finally cracked a smile, waved his hand and said: "Let's all sit down and talk about it. Actually, I don't have any other requests. All of you gentlemen here are loyal to your duties, and I don't want to stir up trouble for no reason. I just hope that my people can receive better treatment."

  Blanca quietly wiped the sweat, pulled John up and sat down together to toast Amun, saying in a promising tone: "Please rest assured that such things will not happen again today. Within my authority, I will take care of those miners as much as possible. They are indeed very important to He Lie Shan and should be treated with priority."

  Amon asked, "I was injured today and need to rest here for a few days. The Holy Maiden gave me a month's time, so there's no rush to complete the mission. During this period, I hope to see my clansmen, ask about their experiences and encounters, is it convenient?"

  John nodded and said: "Convenient, of course convenient! As long as you don't take them away, it doesn't matter what else happens here."

  That night, Ah Mon sat in his bedroom on the upper floor, reading a book on military strategy while gazing thoughtfully out of the window. It was a full moon that night, with the moon's outline suspended above the distant mountain ridge, and even the shadows in the bright light were crystal clear. The He Lie Mountains under the moonlight had a faintly smoldering air about them, just like the flavor of Du Ke Town from long ago.

  Amun was as if waiting for someone. When the moonlight shone through the window, the guard outside reported: "Mr. Amun, someone is asking to see you!"

  Amun laughed and shouted loudly through the door: "Is it Captain John? Come in, I've been waiting."

  It was indeed John who came, and he bowed to apologize for the disturbance so late at night. Amun smiled and said: "The captain of the guard comes alone at night, there must be some private request, just speak directly."

  "First of all, I want to express my gratitude that you didn't hurt me in the duel and forgave my unintentional mistake. To be honest, I'm very regretful, but at that time I was in a state of uncontrollable fury."

  Ammon nodded: "I can see that, the you back then and the you now are like two different people. If you were always so violent and impulsive, it would be impossible for you to achieve sixth-level body technique. Is that why you came to find me today?"

  John opened his mouth, somewhat surprised, and said: "Mr. Amun, you are really too powerful! At a glance, you saw my intention. Yes, the situation is like this, there has always been an irrepressible commotion in my soul, sometimes even losing rationality, just wanting to vent power. I try to restrain myself, but it's always hard to avoid. You don't know my experience yet?"

  John was born into a noble family in Dreamflight, his uncle being the current Agricultural Commissioner of Dreamflight, with a very prominent position. At the age of sixteen, he was taken to the temple and underwent the Power Awakening Ceremony, but what awakened was the power of blood, so he became a warrior, with the best coaches teaching him martial arts and various combat skills.

  He was deeply grieved that he had not become a theurgist, and for a long time he asked himself in his heart whether the gods had rejected him, why they had not given this noble soul an opportunity. His grandfather had been a great theurgist, the honored high priest of the temple of Isis, and John had always taken pride in it.

  He made up his mind to become the best warrior, but after awakening the power in his bloodline, as his physical skills advanced, his soul became increasingly irritable and prone to outbursts of anger, often losing control over trivial matters, although he would regret it afterwards, at that moment he just couldn't hold back.

  Two years ago, in a brothel called Meng Fei Si, he got into an argument with someone over which girl to accompany for drinks. He lost his noble composure and injured a colleague as well as the brothel owner. After returning home, he still hadn't calmed down and accidentally injured his wife who was trying to advise him. His wife came from another aristocratic family in Meng Fei Si City and left him in anger to return to her parents' home. He also received punishment and his family used their connections to send him to He Lie Shan, hoping that the desolate place would help him temper his temper.

  John frankly admitted that he felt very depressed in He Lie Shan, and the desolate place made his mood even more desolate. His prayers to God also failed to bring him true comfort. A few days ago, when drinking, he heard that Amun was not a nobleman, but came to inspect He Lie Shan with an air of superiority, which made him unhappy. This afternoon, seeing someone carelessly damaging a divine stone while mining, his anger surged up and he couldn't help but lash out at people with his whip.

  On Mount Hualou, this was not the first time it had happened. Not only slaves and artisans, but also many of the guards under him had suffered his flogging. It seemed that such outbursts could ease his emotions, but they meant even more difficult-to-suppress turmoil.

  John said finally, "When you struck me with your pickaxe today, that strange impact seemed to disperse my strength. My mood calmed down in an instant. You were also enraged at the time. If I were you, it would be very hard to control so perfectly and not hurt anyone."

  "This is the miner's skill of Duketown? How does it control its power, being able to crush such a hard mineral core into powder and yet leave the divine stone intact? There must be some unique mystery behind it. And your strike today suppressed my restlessness, so I've come to ask for your guidance, is there any way to help me?"

  Amon listened and gradually furrowed his brow, this feeling he had also experienced before, it was when he was first awakened to the power of both sides, at the same time awakening the desire and restlessness of both sides. He remembered that at the time in Du Ke Town, he always wanted to find someone to beat up, but after the test, this restlessness disappeared and did not continue.

  But John's situation was particularly special, this restlessness was forcibly suppressed, but it never disappeared, and as the power grew stronger and stronger. He is a warrior with six levels of achievement, naturally he has to go through various tests, but no one has systematically summarized what the clear test is in the cultivation of body techniques, so he doesn't understand his situation, fortunately, the person he asked today was Ahmon.

  Since he asked, Amun would definitely find a way to help him. Not to mention that his own clansmen were still in He Liao Shan, as long as Amun left, the situation of Moses and others would depend on John and Branka's attitude. He looked out the window thoughtfully and said: "John, does your impulsive emotion have any changing rules?"

  John thought for a moment before answering, "Yes, the more powerful my abilities become, the stronger this turmoil is. On the other hand, it seems to have a periodic nature, as if it's triggered by the waxing and waning of the moon. Tonight is the night of the full moon, and the turmoil is most intense. I've prayed to the Moon Goddess before, but it doesn't seem to be of any use."

  Amon turned around and sat down, looking at John: "What awakened you may not only be the power of faith, but also the turmoil lurking in your soul, just like the two sides of things. The fierce power will also awaken, but you don't know how to face it, it comes from the doubts and anxieties in your soul. You have desires that are never satisfied and cannot let go, yet you haven't even realized it yourself, and a devil is gradually hiding in your heart, but you can't see it.

  "This is just my judgment, and I'm not even sure if it's right or wrong. But I have a feeling that when you're impulsive, your strength becomes very powerful, but afterwards you become weak again. Now you are weaker than the you at noon. If this continues, it will be harmful to both others and yourself, and you won't know where you'll end up falling."

  John listened intently, and before he knew it, he stood up, then knelt down involuntarily, nodding repeatedly: "What you said is so right! I couldn't describe it myself. Sometimes I feel like everything around me can't get along with me, but with my own strength, I can't break free from this bondage. Only in the moment when I give up my rationality do I feel more relaxed. The effect of your words today was so obvious, there must be a way to teach me how to solve it, please!"

  Ammon reached out and helped him up, pressing him back into the chair. "I may not be able to help you either," he said. "I can't always be around to give you a slap whenever you get violent. But I can try one method that also comes from the mining skills of Duketown. If you want to learn it, you have to keep it secret. The reason doesn't need to be explained."

  John nodded and said: "Of course, everything is up to you, I am beyond words in my gratitude!"

  "Your restlessness is influenced by your environment, so I suggest you face it head-on. Gazing up at the starry sky may bring inner peace. You must have a firm conviction, whether it comes from faith or not, to see clearly what you're pursuing in your heart and find a clear state of mind, only then will you know what you need to overcome."

  "Stargazing?" John said vaguely.

  Amun smiled and shook his head: "It's closing your eyes, looking up at the starry sky in your heart, releasing the soul's feelings, and then slowly retrieving them, just like a devout prayer to God. Let the power naturally accompany the soul, rather than being controlled by it, only then can you truly calm down, maybe useful or useless, I suggest you try."

  Amon taught John a method of prayer that was close to divine meditation, but difficult to say whether it was divine. It took a long time for the warrior to fully understand what he was doing. Amon himself had no guarantee; if John succeeded, it would only prove his conjecture. If desire strayed from the path, and the mind was controlled by power, the consequences would be evident in John.

  Later, when passing on the power of both sides again, Amun should also be careful to avoid someone like John appearing. But he didn't tell John that this was actually a meditation method for cultivating the power of both sides, and even less would he say that he was a magician. Even if someone knew what he had taught John, it was still within the scope of the high-level content of the mining skills in Duke Town, which did not involve any specific divine techniques, and there was nothing wrong with it.

  When the sky was barely bright, John finally left with a thousand thanks, and Amun also breathed a sigh of relief. At least he knew that Moses and others would not be treated too badly on Mount Horeb in the future. Although they still had to serve Egyptra, it was good to know their whereabouts, as for how to get them out, Amun didn't have any way, so he decided to ask about Moses' experience first.

  The next day, Amun had Moses brought to his own room for a private conversation. In the past, Moses was the young master of Dasati town, white and plump, but now he has become dark and thin, looking at him is heart-wrenching. As soon as Moses entered the door, he saluted Amun and said: "Sir, thank you for saving me yesterday, are you really from the miner's origin of Du Ke Town?"

  Amun pulled him up: "Moses, don't you recognize me? The last time we met was three years ago, I am Amun, have you forgotten?"

  Moses stared blankly at Amun for half a day, suddenly bursting into tears and embracing him: "Right, you are indeed Amun, the son of old drunkard Amun! Your appearance has changed completely, I didn't dare to recognize you. Yesterday, when they mentioned your name, I couldn't believe it no matter what, but the technique of opening the mine core is real! Amun, Dak Town is gone, everyone is gone! How did you end up here and become a messenger of the Isis Temple?"

  Amon reached out and wiped away Moses' tears, asking in return: "Did you not know that I was banished by Duke Town before the flood came?"

  "Moses exclaimed, 'Is this true?' When Amun was sent by the mayor of Dast to pursue the evil magician Bell in the deep mountains, Moses was not in Ducktown. He had been sent by his father to study divine texts and various classics in the city-state of Syria, unaware of what happened in Ducktown. Later, a great flood swallowed up his hometown, and no one told him about it again."

  "Alas, I excavated a Tear of the Gods, but it was taken away by Lord Rodick's attendant on the spot. As a result, I will be severely punished by the kingdom. Your father found an excuse to drive me out of Duke Town, which is also a kind of protection. My story is too long to tell, so you first tell me how you came to Mount Helei?"

  Moses' eyes turned red again, and after sitting down, he recounted the hardships of the survivors in Duketown - Dasiti cultivated Moses as his successor, and throughout Duketown, only he was qualified to send his son to the city-state of Syria to study. Although Dasiti was just a town mayor, his status was not low and he had enough money to buy a manor in the city-state of Syria for Moses to live in. He liked this son very much, but did not spoil him excessively, and his daily demands were also very strict.

  Moses is two years older than Ahmon, and this year he is nineteen. In the year when he was sixteen, Dashti took him to the Temple of Mu Yun to receive blessings and began to learn the mining skills of Du Ke Town. Although Moses doesn't need to mine the divine stone himself, as the future manager of Du Ke Town, he must master this skill that has been passed down through generations. As the chief priest of Du Ke Town, Dashti is also the host of the blessing ceremony, which will be handed over to Moses in the future.

  Dastyl's estate in the city-state of Syria was not only Moses' residence but also a stopping point for the townspeople of Tukay. The kingdom had an ordinance that registered miners from Tukay were not allowed to leave without permission, but just before the Great Flood, Dastyl sent people to the city-state to transport taxes and purchase necessities for the town, and dozens of young and strong miners were sent.

  After finishing their official business, they stayed in the manor of Dasti and also brought some things to Master Moses. Before they set off back to Du Ke Town, a heavy rain started pouring down in the Black Fire Forest. The post road was cut off, and they were stranded in the city-state, becoming another group of survivors besides Amun. The slaves beside Moses also came from Du Ke Town, adding up to more than sixty people.

  The great wizard, Gale, directed the military and civilians to unite and build a stronghold, finally preserving the city-state of Syria in the flood. After the flood, the town of Duk was no longer there, and Moses and his people could not return. Not long after, rumors spread from somewhere that the townspeople of Duk had violated the guardian god's oracle, which led to the divine punishment and brought about this great flood.

  They are people abandoned by the gods, bringing disaster. The great god Enlil punished the town of Duk with a flood to cleanse the earth and bless all the people. This rumor is terrifying, and the Syrian people who have just experienced a disaster are filled with hostility towards the survivors of Duk, and there have been several incidents of surrounding and attacking the manor.

  The miners of Duketown were strong and not to be trifled with, they temporarily took up arms to defend the manor, which ultimately led to a bloody conflict, and some troublemakers died in the fight. The miners were acting in self-defense, from the perspective of the city-state law, Governor Xiao Mo had no reason to punish them, but the angry crowd could not forgive the miners for their murderous actions.

  Almost every day, people gathered outside the estate and shouted: "Kill them in the name of God!" Someone tried to rush into the estate to attack Moses and others, the friction was continuous, even the city's guards could not suppress it.

  Moses and the other survivors of Kratz had become the target of public criticism, even the shops in the city-state were unwilling to sell them anything. After the food stored in the manor was consumed, they almost couldn't survive. At that time, Galen was not in Syria City, this great magician had returned to the imperial capital and closed his door to cultivate in seclusion.

  But before Song Lie left, he seemed to have anticipated this situation and specially instructed his disciple, the proxy high priest Hua Leite, to take care of Moses and others. When it was impossible to recover, Hua Leite led the temple guards into the manor and found Moses. At that time, Moses and others could not continue to stay in the city-state of Syria, so Hua Leite asked him where he wanted to go?

  The miners had never been out of the mountains, and Moses, only eighteen or nineteen years old, had not been anywhere except for Ducktown and Sylvania, so after thinking about it for half a day, he could only think of Rhododendron. The lord of Cape Egmont had a good relationship with his father, and in desperation, he had no choice but to flee to Cape Egmont to seek refuge.